Aquatic device



March 3, 1931. w. wooP AQUATIG DEVICE I5 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Feb. 28, 1929 March 3, 1931. w w P 1,795,066

AQUATIQ DEVICE Filed Feb. 28, 1929 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 W. WOOP AQUATIC DEVICE Marcb' 3, 1931.

s Sheets- Sheet 5 Filed Feb. 28, 1929 Patented 'Mar. 3, 1931 1 eUNITED STATES WILLIAM woor, OFMFARMINGDALE, new Yuan AQUATIC DEVICE Application filed February 28,1929. Serial No. 343,542.

This invention relates to aquatic devices, and the lmprovements' are dlrected to novel and unique means for facilitating lnstruction in swimming.

pivotally disposed and carrying sling ele ments for supporting a person upon the surface of the water.

Still another object of the invention resides in the provision of means whereby said 'arms may be elevated or lowered in accordance with the varying conditions of tide height.

Vith these objects in view, together with others which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the novel formation, combination, and arrangement of parts, all as will be described more fully hereinafter, illustrated in the drawings, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In said drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevation of my improved structure, one of the arms being shown in an elevatedposition. V

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a similar sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view of the platform and taken on the line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a sectional detail of the drum and ratchet arrangement, slightly enlarged, and taken on the line 66 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is a detailed view showing the pivotal connection between one of the arms and a sling.

Figs. 8, 9 and 10 illustrate the harness elements as associated with the user and a sling.

Referring now more in detail to the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters of reference denote similar parts throughout the several views, let 1 represent a tower, formed preferably of steel or structural iron, and having a fixed base 2, upon which the upper portion 3 is rotatably mounted, said portion 3 being supported upon a base 4, having roller bearing connections with said base 2 and being connected thereto by means of a king pin 5.

"Saidbase 2 is disposed centrally of a plat form 6, having a guard rail 7, said platform being adapted to support an operating mechanism as will presently appear. U on inspectionof Figs. 1 and 5 it will be observed thatsaid pin 5 has a squared portion 8 which extends through said base 4, the lower portion9 of said pin being positioned below the platform6 and having a sprocket wheel 11 affixed. to the extremity 10 thereof. A sprocket chain 12 .operatively connects said wheel 11 to a" similar wheel 13 carried by the lower end of a shaft 14 which is supported by said platform 6 and adaptedto be rotatedbymeans of wheel 15 when it is desired torevolve said towerupon the base 2. At anintermediate point of the tower, I provide a fixed ring 16 having hinged mem bers 17 to which a series of arms 18 are hinged, said arms having eyes 19 to which the ends of the cables 20 and 21 are attached. The intermediate portions of said cablesarc each trained over pulleys 22 at the top of the member 3, where they extend downward- 1y to a drum 23, rotatively carried by said tower and adapted to be operated by a crank 24. As shown in Fig. 6 a ratchet 25 engages the ratchet teethof wheel 26 on the shaft 27 ofsaid drum, whereby the latter may be held against-rotation in one direction. From the above it is obvious that the arms 18 may be raised or lowered whereby the slings 27, pivoted at 28 to the ends 29 of said arms 18, are similarly operated, whereby the body of the person 30, supported by said slings, by means of a harness 31, may ride upon the surface of the water whether at low tide as indicated at 32, or at high tide as indicated at 33.

The harness 31 embraces shoulder straps 34 and 35, interconnected by a brace strap 36 and longitudinal body straps 37 and 38. whereby the body will be suspended upon PAT N OFFICE the water without the straps interfering with the head, neck or limbs of said body 30 'The I harness also includes straps 39 and 40, one extending under the arms to the straps 37 and 38, and the other extending around the abdomen of the user, said straps 39 and 40 ex-' tending to a point 41 where they are connected to the 'slingi27, The straps 34 and 35 mject upwardly andalso connect to the'arm's the connections 41. V r

'42 and 43 of the sling 27 at a pointabovef The sling 271may be U-shaped at its lower 7 end through a U-bar 44, which ma -be-connected to or detached from the terminal of I the arms 42 and 43 as desiredfdepending upon. the efiiciencyof the user. The upper a ends ofthe arrns :42 and 43 terminate inflat disks 45 to,,which apivot pin 46 in thejend V 29 projects wherebythe sling 27 may rotate upon the pivot with the movement of the arm 18, iniorder that it Will. always-be'in a vertical position, but through the arrangemerit of said'fiat disk upon the flatsides 47 Swing transversely of the arms.

of the arms 18,thesling will not be ableto I claim:

1. An aquatic 'device comprising a base adapted to be positioned in abodyof-water, a tower carried thereby and positioned above the surfaceof the water, arms pivotally sup- 5 portedby said tower, a sling disposed at t-he end of eachiof' said arms andmeans vfor ele= vat ng and lowering 'said sllngs in unison in accordance with varying level'conditions of the body ofwater. I

2-. ,An aquatic device comprising. base 3 adapted to be positioned in a bodyof water,

aplatform' supported by said base and posiv tioned above the surface of the water, a tower mounted on saidwplatform, arms pivotally' supported by said tower, a, sling disposed at the end of each of said arms and means for elevating andloweringsaid slings in unison and in accordance witlrvarying levelconditions of the body of water. 7

3.'An aquatic device comprising a base adapted tobepositioned in a body of'water,

a platform supported bysaid base and positioned above the surface of the water, a tower rotatively mounted on said platform, arms p-ivotally supported by said tower, a sling disposed at the end of each of vsaid arms, means for elevating and lowering sald slings} iniunison and in accordance with varying level conditions of the body of; water and Q means for rotating said tower. Y

WILLIAM woon, 

